three months too soon.

Hadley just passed the three month mark and I am absolutely baffled how three months has come and gone so quickly. The last three months have easily been the best of my life, and I continue to praise God for giving me such amazing blessings. I never knew that my heart would grow and stretch each and every day, and just when I think its reached its love-holding-capicity, I see Hadley's face and smile and it stretches yet even more. Seeing this little girl's face is the absolute highlight of my day. She is my sunshine on all of these cloudy and grey Indiana days and even when the sun decides to shine, she still shines brighter to me than anything else. Hadley Parker, it is no secret that you've stolen your mama's heart and many of the hearts around you.

I want to share a little about Hadley's first few months and at the very end of this (very long) blog post you will find a video of pictures from the last three months.

one month.
When you were born, you were 6 pounds 8 ounces and at your first doctor's appointment (one week old) you were 6 pounds 9.5 ounces! Your one week old checkup was the first time we took you anywhere, we were so nervous. The first month you had NONSTOP visitors. I loved your visitors with all my heart, but it was exhausting to say the least. We also had many wonderful friends and family members bring us meals and groceries, we were very thankful. You were very sleepy your first month, and never really kept us up at night (unless we were checking on your breathing). You were and still sort of are a noisy little breather! We have videos and voice records of you sounding like a little pig. Sometimes we call you Miss Piggy or Piglet :) It's one of the cutest things about you. Right away you were sleeping anywhere form 4-6 hours at night, and we were so very grateful for such a good sleeping baby. Your newborn clothes were too big for you, and it took nearly a month for them to start fitting! After you were born, Daddy stayed home for a week and then went back to work for two weeks and then had two weeks off for Christmas vacation. We both loved having him home. Before he was on break we went and had lunch with him! He loves you, and you have him completely wrapped around your finger. Hacienda was the first restaurant you went to, and Mama enjoyed a well deserved frozen margarita :) You met your big fur sister Nala Mae, you smiled for your first time at Grammie's house your first Friday night, and you also met a lot of your Uncle's friends that night who all just smiled at you and were amazed by your cuteness & beauty! Your Aunt Ali took newborn pictures of you, and your Aunt MarBear and her little family came home from San Diego for Christmas! It was very exciting meeting all of your cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends. Nobody could quite grasp your beauty. Everyone said you have the prettiest lips (Pecina trademark: bbl). The first couple weeks we just bathed you in the sink while holding you and then we tried the bath sponge which you loved. You are perfectly content in the tub, and we can't wait to introduce you to things like the pool & lake this summer! You were a very good baby your first month but you still went through the evening "witching hours" nearly every night. It was hard at first but we got the hang of it and you grew out of that phase. Your rocking chair wasn't done in your bedroom so we would just walk around the house in circles holding you, and to do this day you still love that. Your first month we also celebrated your first Christmas and talked to you about the birth of Jesus and how loved you are. You had four Christmas' to attend, and you were overwhelmed with love and gifts. Some of your gifts were your first doll, books, clothes, and hair bows of course. The Eve of your one month was also New Year's Eve! Daddy & I went on our first date and your GiGi babysat. We had big plans to go to dinner and your BawPaw's tavern.. but we only made it to dinner and then came straight home. When the ball dropped at midnight we were thankful to be home and have you in our arms, everything was perfect and everything was right.

Your skin was so tan when you were born! I asked Daddy a funny question about that, but I won't embarrass myself with sharing on here :) You pretty much spent the first month of your life swaddled in blankets. You loved being warm and cozy and sleeping in our arms and you still do! We could hold you forever.

two months.
Visitors calmed down in the second month, and just when Daddy was supposed to be going back to work, we were hit with a snow storm! So his Christmas vacation really ended up being around 3 weeks long, and he so enjoyed the extra time with you. We celebrated your first Valentine's Day, Daddy's birthday, and you were part of a very special moment when your Daddy asked me to marry him! Daddy gave you your first bottle when you were just over a month old. He was so excited and nervous that he used the boppy to feed you. We then started to give you a bottle every couple nights to get you used to it. At your two month appointment you weight 8 pounds 6 ounces. Your Auntie KyKy went to that appointment with me for emotional support. It was awful seeing you get your two month shots, and you cried like you never had before. It absolutely broke my heart. Your doctor always rants and raves about how beautiful you are and how you are destined to change the world. We agree with him :) I started to have a lot of fun dressing you the older and bigger you got and a lot of people have enjoyed watching you grow and seeing your stylish outfits that I share and the infamous Hadley pictures on the white rug in your bedroom. One online store even sent free leggings, bows, and headbands to you to model for them! Daddy and I went on our second date in your second month and G-Pa and Gammy came over and babysat while Daddy & I went to a fundraiser at his school and then to Hacienda (you might notice a pattern here). Your second month you started to be much more awake and alert. You loved playing on your play mat, and although you were alert, your movements were still slow and sweet like a newborns. You also loved to lay on your rug and often times you would fall asleep on it. You loved your glowworm (yes, I know there's a lot of recalls on that product) and you really started to give little smiles more often. Many more snow storms came, and Dad was getting a little tired of missing so much work knowing that he would have to make up the days during summer. I didn't mind the snow because I knew that meant that our little family of three got to stay warm and cozy inside all day long.

Your skin is noticeably lighter and so is your hair (what you do have)! You are still teeny tiny but your face is getting more round. Your eyes are so big and beautiful and they follow Daddy and I around when we're in the same room. The onsie you have on is 0-3 months and it's still big on you! I'm sure it won't be too long until you can fill it out. By the end of your second month you were making lots of faces, smiling, and kicking your legs like you were participating in a cross country meet (your G-Pa thinks you will be a runner with those legs)!

three months.
In your third month I think you have changed the most. You smile so often, you laughed for your first time, and you are reaching out for toys and holding onto them for quite a long time. You are also trying your hardest to roll over! You have grown SO much and are such a beautiful little girl. You are wearing size 0-3 month clothing and starting to wear some 3-6 month. Month three has been exciting and so full of love. Every morning when you wake up you have the biggest smile on your face. It's the best part of our day, waking up and seeing you. You bring joy to so many people's lives, and we are so grateful that God chose us to be your parents. We love seeing you play with your toys and you will try to chew on anything! You've started drooling a lot, and you almost always have your fingers/fists in your mouth. You absolutely love books, especially when Daddy reads you your prayers each night. We went to see your first show, your cousin Jasmin was in "Beauty & the Beast" with the South Bend Civic, we celebrated Grammie's birthday with a scavenger hunt, and you had your first playdate with your new buddy Lovelyn who is just two weeks older than you. You won two modeling contests and are now Brand Reps for Trendy Tree House and Shop MiniChuck. You've started to get the hang of your bumbo seat and the first day that you actually sat in there for longer than 30 seconds Daddy came home and couldn't believe how big you looked and how fast you were growing up! We are excited to see you grow, develop, and try new things but at times we wish we could keep you a baby forever. You still love bath time although you are starting to outgrow your sponge that you lay on. Your eyes are turning even more blue and you're really learning how to use that pouty lip. You still love your big white rug and a lot of times you lay on it playing with toys and are completely content. You also like when we use the carrier and you're starting to really love watching TV (just like your Daddy). We call you "Hads" a lot and we also call you "Bubbles" now for obvious reasons :) You love your arm rattles, your toy keys, the light on your playmat, your binky, your elephant, doll, prayer book, and to be in mine or Daddy's arms.

These pictures show so many of your changes! At three months you are really starting to fill out! Your cheeks and legs are getting more plump and I adore that. I love to kiss those cheeks and tickle those thighs. You refuse to smile in front of the camera but maybe next month you won't be so shy :) You were a little wiggle worm while trying to take these. You are still wearing a 0-3 month onsie but it's starting to get a little snug! We SO enjoy watching you grow. You will forever be our little baby and we are so grateful of the past three months even if they were gone so soon.

"To the ends of the earth & the bottoms of the sea, to the moon & back times infinity. We love you our sweet, sweet, baby."

MEET MAL

I'm Malory Anne, wife to my college love + mama to the two sweetest blonde babes. We call the midwest home and we spend our summers at the lake. I take too many photos, I'm a sucker for wine and sunsets. I love to match our girls, and if we could spend all of our free time traveling we would. I'm glad you're here!